The federal government says N4.738 billion is to be paid out as compensation for properties that would be affected in the Section 2 of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal road project in Lagos.
The figure was arrived at from enumeration assessment of the properties that would be impacted after their physical evaluation.
This was made known in Lagos on Sunday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the project where the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said that there is a plan to publish the names of all those who had been paid for Section 1.
The minister disclosed that, so far, the government has paid over ₦16 billion to owners of properties that were affected by the coastal highway project.
“We intend to publish the names of all those who had been paid with their pictures if they give us their consent,” he said.
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Umahi announced that verification of properties in Section 2 would start on Monday while payment would begin on April 26.
He said in Section 2 not many properties would be affected unlike in the earlier section which began in the busy business corridor of Victoria Island and Lekki.
He admitted that properties had been lost as a result of the road project but not in the magnitude being brandished.
On the controversy over the Landmark property in Lekki, Umahi said with available evidence based on what was and what is now, the company’s infrastructure was never demolished; only the shanties in the vicinity were affected.
The minister said that the Africa submarine cable, the Main One cable, after an appeal was made to President Bola Tinubu, was spared resulting in the saving of 7,500 homes in Okun Aja community.
He added, however, that some properties were spared even though they were on the gazzetted route.
Umahi said that in no time the project would become a reality. “It has never happened like this before,” he added.
He commended Hitech, the contractor, for being able to deliver a project planned to last for 36 months in 18 months.
